Combining Planting Patterns with Mulching Bolsters the Soil Water Content, Growth, Yield, and Water Use Efficiency of Spring Wheat under Limited Water Supply in Arid Regions

Innovations in water-saving cultivation strategies are urgently needed to achieve high yield and elevated water use efficiency (WUE) simultaneously arid regions with limited resources. Here, we conducted a two-year field study compare the impacts of eight combinations planting patterns (PPs) mulching on soil content (SWC) top 60 cm layer, growth, yield, WUE wheat under two irrigation rates (1.00 0.50 ET). These included three conventional flat (CF) patterns, including CF without mulch (CFNM), plastic film (CFPM), straw (CFSM); raised-bed (RB) RB (RBNM), (RBPM), (RBSM) mulch; ridge–furrow (RF) RF (RFNM) (RFPM). The results showed that tested treatments affected SWC at different depths both rates. Compared non-mulched ET, PPs were significantly higher before by 14.4–22.0% 6.9–17.2% 0–20 depth, 16.4–29.0% 6.6–14.9% 20–40 3.3–34.8% 3.4–14.5% 40–60 respectively. All measured parameters, except harvest index, interaction between rate PPs. highest values for plant dry weight (PDW), components, grain (GY), 1.00 ET obtained mulch, while these parameters ET. response factor (Ky) based PDW was acceptable all mulched as well RFNM, Ky GY only less than 1 exhibited quadratic nonsignificant relationships linear strong few exceptions. Overall, conclude combining any could be used feasible effective strategy obtaining irrigated agroecosystem.